Opponents of legislation to legalize same-sex marriage in Minnesota highlighted a new study today that they believe furthers their cause.

The study from the Williams Institute on Sexual Orientation and Gender Identity Law and Public Policy at UCLA School of Law found support for gay marriage in Minnesota at 43 percent.

It was lower than in Iowa (45%), South Dakota (45%) or Wisconsin (47%). Nationwide, 12 states and the District of Columbia had support for same-sex marriage at or above 50 percent at the end of 2012. Support increased in all states over the last eight years, with an average increase of 13.6 percent. The authors of the study analyzed survey data from multiple polling places and news sources.

In a news release, Minnesota for Marriage spokeswoman Autumn Leva said the study from what she termed a “pro-gay marriage organization” undermines the claim that state legislators have a mandate to legalize same-sex marriage.

“This is another concrete example that Minnesotans don’t support gay marriage”, Leva said. “In fact, it runs contrary to the erroneous assertion that public opinion on gay marriage is radically changing.”

Minnesota for Marriage is planning a series of “Stand for Marriage” rallies throughout the state this month.

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These figures seem to show that Minnesota is, on average, only 4-5 years away from a majority supporting gay marriage. (13.6% average increase over 8 years) What’s wrong with legislating for the future, instead of looking in the rear-view mirror?

This won’t even be a debate in ten years…

L123

In Western lands, church groups ordain gay and lesbian members of the clergy and urge governments to recognize same-sex marriages. Even churches that condemn immorality have tolerated religious leaders who have sexually abused children. What, though, does the Bible teach? It plainly states: “Do not be misled. Neither fornicators, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor men kept for unnatural purposes, nor men who lie with men . . . will inherit God’s kingdom.”(1 Corinthians 6:9, 10) Do you know of religions that condone immoral sex?

What does the future hold for religions that produce rotten fruit? Jesus warned: “Every tree not producing fine fruit gets cut down and thrown into the fire.” (Matthew 7:19) Yes, false religion will be chopped down and destroyed! But how and when will this happen? A prophetic vision recorded in the Bible book of Revelation, chapters 17 and 18, provides the answer. [JW.org]

Mark

It is important to know this is not a new poll, it is a study that took data from eleven nationwide polls from 2011 and 2012. It then sliced and diced the poll data into regions and demographic groups (like midwestern, Minnesotan 65+ black females with HS diploma). It then took each of the 64 groups created and looked at census data for each state to see how many people in that state fit that group. They had 3,264 population estimates in total. It is an estimate, and the study doesn’t claim it is anything other than an estimate.

One other thing about this study. Of the eleven nationwide polls used, nine had over 50% nationwide in favor of same-sex marriage. However, when sliced and diced and reconstituted, the data came up with only nine states and DC over 50% in favor, three states at 50% and 38 states under 50% (with 15 of those states under 40%). If you add the states’ totals back up, they can’t possibly add up to the nationwide totals. Therefore the study must be underestimating the support within each state.

MK

Nobody should have to wait to be popular to have equal rights.

Clif rice

My religion is Not rotten. This country was founded on freedom of religion and my faith believes that the writings of Christ did not condemn homosexuality because they are Born gay as a child of God. Your religious beliefs do not determine others civil rights!

George

You can try to shade this with religion, but it is really about equal rights as Americans. Many gay people have served in our military services, and seen combat and fought for our country, and to tell them then that they are not entitled to marry the person they love, is just plain wrong, un-patriotic, and un-American! Gay folks have as much right to marry the person they love as the rest of us, and anything less is 2nd class citizenship. They are our neighbors, our friends, our family. They deserve nothing less than full civil rights, full equality, full citizenship, and the freedom to marry whomever they choose! Please support them!

wayne

The article fails to mention that the Williams study found gay marriage approval on a rapid ascent in Minnesota over the past 8 years and there is nothing on the horizon to indicate that it will decline.

Jean-Jacques Burlamaqui

Same-sex marriage is an injustice, an insult to the noble faculty of reason, and an absolute mockery of: the Laws of Nature, civil society, and the preservation and perfection of mankind.

The broken families which same-sex marriages purposely create are necessarily vicious toward those naturally occurring consanguineous obligations between family members from which nations, sociability, and benevolence have naturally emanated.

Children are not pets one purchases from rescue shelters(adoption clinics) and puppy mills(insemination and surrogacy). Children are human beings endowed with a natural desire to be procreated from an engendered act of love between a husband and a wife. Same-sex marriage is adulterous by nature and thereby destructive to not only children, but to our civilization.

In fine, same-sex marriage is an unnatural extravagance which the supporters most ignorantly claim to be a “right”.

“No one has a right to do that which, if everybody did it, would destroy society.” —Immanuel Kant

Tessa

Why is this news? Because Minnesota for Marriage did some data mining? I gotta wonder what’s going on at MPR these days….Next you’ll be reporting on what Focus on the Family and the Family Research Council are hating against. A large part of the reason these groups have disproportionate political power is because media hacks give them free PR.

Shelley

Legislation by Rep. Tim Kelly seeks to allow civil union for all. Legislation by the government, implemented by the government. Civil Union in MN with equal rights for all. A clear separation of church and state must be a part of any legislation on the matter. The state can legislate law. The state cannot legislate matters of faith. The word marriage has historically been defined by religious and ethnic groups for centuries. The word marriage is being challenged and claimed for arguments sake by non-Christians. The fight for same sex union is belittled by this attempt to insert equal rights into redefining the teachings of the bible and hijacking the word marriage. I believe few Christians oppose civil union in MN but do oppose the attempt to redefine the word Marriage. They fear unintended consequences that will effect religious institutions.

Had the ballot contained a vote for Civil Union for same sex couples last fall, I believe it would have passed with support from MN Christians.

matt

@ Shelley. The problem with the argument of Civil Unions is it is still segregation and discrimination. If you want to argue the point of separation of Church and State then marriage as a religious ceremony should grant you no federal and state benefits and straight couples should be required to obtain a civil union in addition to their marriage to obtain those benefits (as would a gay couple under your suggestion). As it currently stands marriage is not solely a religious entity as it has been intertwined with state and federal laws and benefits so I do not believe the argument of separation of Church and State or the argument that religion has a part to play in the debate holds. You cannot separate Church and State only when it is of benefit to the Church.

TT

Chrstianity is nothing with out bible and bible condomen same sex marige so what’s going to be? Lets take another sin “killing people”- we are not going to say it’s ok because someone is born with bad temper and it’s ok to kill,all sins are the same so even if some one is born with some deficency he/she should fight with it not accepting it; But this is for some one who don’t want to comprmise anything when it’s come to his/her fith. Fith is bigger than any civil right or anything else.God knows best!!!

selo

voting went up because of false promotion, advertisement and bribery!! marriage is a union between man and a women. you can not call a union of same sex marriage. you can not talk about secularism to defined your argument because marriage is not institution that is created by civil courts. it is not within the sphere of state. what homosexuals have is not love it is lust. there is a big difference between the two. they can give what ever name they like to their union but they can not call it a marriage. sadist have satisfaction on humans suffering. then should we say they are our neighbors, our friends, our family so we should respect their choice. definitely not and the same goes to homosexuals!!! one should not proclaim a human right to something which is not human. the reason why the voting has gone up is because they are doing a lot of false promotion, advertisement and bribery. they create attractive movie that mislead the youth. you never have to promote something that is natural because whether you do or not it will keep to exist. but since this is not the case they have to strive a lot to keep it in the minds of people in what ever chance they get. so i ask everybody to be conscientious of what homosexuals are doing!!!